Very often relatives, or beneficiaries will want to obtain a copy of a will, and the grant of probate issued by the Probate Registry, for a variety of reasons. If so what does the grant of probate actually show ? and what is probate ?
The Probate Process
The starting point is that the grant of probate is issued by the probate registry, and so at the very of top of the grant will be the High Court of Justice, in the District probate registry. This will confirm the actual probate registry in which the grant was issued. There are 13 probate registries across the Country, with the Principal Probate Registry being based in Central London.
The grant of probate will then name the full name and address of the Deceased ( or an alias name if the deceased was known as ) together with their full address, date of death, and Domicile.
The person applying for probate is known as the executor, and their authority to obtain probate, and the date of the will, is also stated on the probate. Sometimes the probate may state, for the use and benefit of – this means that the person applying for probate is doing so on behalf of someone else , possibly via a power of attorney.
The grant of probate will also state the Gross and Net Value ( that is after the payment of debts and liabilities ) and the date probate has actually been issued. This is a very important date if you are planning to contest a will, as very strict time limits apply to challenging wills, and the limitation date will often start from this date.
The probate registry have recently issued a new format of the grant of probate certificate and you can see an example by clicking here. New features include :-
- a hologram
- digital signatures
- validation number for people to call to verify the document
The New Grant can be seen below
Will I always need probate ?
Whether you need probate very much depends upon the assets and liabilities of the Deceased. Banks and building societies often have differing limits depending as to whether they will require probate which can cause confusion, so it is always best to check first before starting probate. You will however definitely require probate in the following circumstances :-
- if the deceased left a property
- you want to make a claim on behalf of the deceased
- the deceased had assets in excess of £20,000
- to sell shares held by the deceased
- to collect a death benefit if there is no nomination
How Much Does probate cost ?
We offer a simply guaranteed fixed fee – avoid hourly rates and percentages charged by banks and other providers – we ask a few questions and then we can confirm our fee.
How Long does probate Take ?
It varies depending a variety of factors, the number of assets and liabilities, whether inheritance tax is payable, the number of beneficiaries and whether a deceased left a will. in very straightforward cases a grant of probate can be obtained in 6-8 weeks whilst in most cases it takes on average 9-12 weeks to finalise estate.
Would you let help with probate ? we help clients across the UK and always work on fixed fee if you would like help with probate call us now on 01482 429985 or alternatively e-mail tim.murden@tmsolicitors.co.uk
